Abbe Temkin

Abbe Temkin is senior philanthropic advisor for The Chicago Community Trust, joining the Trust in 2013.

In this role, she is responsible for building and fostering relationships with current and prospective donors. She works with families and individuals to develop philanthropic strategies and helps connect philanthropy to opportunity by leveraging the knowledge of the Trust’s Community Impact staff for the benefit of donor advisors. Temkin also provides guidance and support in legacy planning and higher education philanthropy.

Before coming to the Trust, Temkin served as director of individual giving for The University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences and earlier as director of development for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science. Previously, she spent many years as a consultant with CCS Fundraising, where she was western regional director for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and served clients including the Jewish Agency for Israel, the International Code Council, and the Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin.

Temkin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Western Michigan University and a JD from The University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. She was a practicing trial attorney for many years before transitioning full time into the field of development. Today Temkin sits on the board of directors for CJE SeniorLife, and is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, the National Center for Family Philanthropy, the Advancement Network, and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. She’s completed 22 marathons, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and is an avid indoor rower.